Kiln attachment



June 12, 1928.

J. N. SILVA KILN ATTACHMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 1924 June 12,1928. 1,673,597

J. N. SILVA KILN ATTACHMENT Filed April 9, 1924 s sheets-sheet 2 aINVENTOR.

By JJVfSz'Zva/ A TTORNEY-S June 12, 1928.

J. N SlLVA KILN ATTACHMENT Filed April 9, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 simpleand Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED" PATENT 'V'IOFFICEQ v;

'VJUAN N SILVA, 0F WICK I FE; onIo.

im: ATTACHMENT.

" Application filed April 9,

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inkilns of that general type which are utilized for the burning of brick,pottery and other like' and the object of the invention is A furtherobject of theinvention is to provide a construction of this characterwhich can be 'eadil associated with any conventional forin o Qkiln,either as an at tachmentor asa bu'ilt-in part thereof,and which willresult s in a very considerable saving of, fuel andreduce the cost ofoperating the kiln. v

The invention also contemplates a device of this character which iscomparatively inexpensive in its construction,

which can be readily applied to an old kiln or embodied in a new kiln,which will effect an economy in the amount of fuel required to fire thekiln, and which will tend to bring about an even burning of the contentsof the kiln and reduce the quantity of seconds kilns is immaterial tothe invention, since,

the kilns "ma be arranged differently, and

and defective products to a minimum;

lVith the foregoing and other objects 111 view the invention consists incertain corn binations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanyin'y drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a battery of kilns which are constructed andequip ed in accordance with the presentinvention, certain of the kilnsbeing shown in section to illustrate more clearlythe details of construction. U i I c g Figure 2 is a sectional View on the line 22 "ofFigure 1, with a part of meat the kilns shown in side elevation. 1 p 1'Figure 3 is a side elevation Off akiln in which the manifold is,arranged under ground, part of the kiln being shown in elevation andpart thereof being shown in section. i Figure 4 is adetail view oftheportable fanr kilns is shown as 1924. :sen'ai' n. 705,325.

s Figure 5 is detail view showing the means for suspending the portableforni of p the manifold on the kiln.

v Figure 6's a detail view the j'oints'between' the sections ofthe portatle manifold. a a n is a detail view showing a pesa Figure 7 sibleinodificationdn which the manifold branches extend downwardly to the:lower furnace openings so that by reversing the fan the manifold can beused either to exhaust air frorn'the manifold to draw the products ofcombustion from another kiln into the kiln and manifold, or to force airinto the manifold to apply a forced draft showing a one of i to thefurnaces when the kiln isbeing fired. Corresponding and like parts arereferred v to in the following description and indicated onallfof theviews of the drawingsby like reference characters. p The invention isadapted to; be used in connection with a battery of kilns, and apossible grouping ofsix kilnsisillustrajted by Figl'ire 1 of thedrawings. For convenhence in designating the various kilns the kilnshave the reference letters A, B GQD, E

and F applied thereto; It will be-understo'od that the exactarrangeinentor number of the topor crown 2, the circular wall being thickened at itslower portion where it is provided at suitable intervalswith thefurnaces 3. In the present instance each of the v provided"with eight ofthese furnaces, and each furnace has its bag wall lwhich serves in theusual manner to carry the heat and products of'cornbus'tion fi' OI ilthe, furnace to the topof the kiln.

The furnaces 3 which are also shown are of the grateless type, the fuelbeing fed through the upper opening 3% while the ashes arereniovedthroug'h the, lower Opening'S The usual annular band or bands5fl rnay extend around the upper portions of the circular kiln walls 1for the pu'rpose of preventing spreading of thewalls. y a V Arrangedunder the floor of each of the kilns is a series of fines-M6 whichradiate from a central well 7 The floor fl'ues 6 Crv communicate withthe openings 8 which extend through the floor of the kiln and the lowerend of each of the wells 7 communicates with an underground tunnel orflue 9, whi'h leads to the bottom of a stack 10. With the arrangementsshown on Figure 1 of the drawings there are two stacks 10, and the kilnsA and D have tunnels 9 communicating with one of the stacks. while thekilns B, C, E and F have tunnels 9 communicating with the other stack.Each of the stack tunnels or lines 9 is provided with a gate or valve11, and each of the stacks 10 is also provided with a gate or damper 12.There are also underground tunnels or flues 13 connecting the kilns Aand B. and the kilns D and E, each of these tunnels being provided witha gate or valve 14-.

Ordinarily the various kilns are fired after they have been filled withthe products to be burned and sealed. The pro ucts of combustion fromthe furnaces of the kiln that is fired are carried upwardly to the topof the kiln by the bag'vvalls f and then circulate downwardly throughthe contents of the kiln. passing through the floor openings 8 into thefloor flnes 6, and thence through the well 7 and tunnel 9 to the stack10. After a furnace has been lired the ten'iperature of the interiorthereof gradually increases until the proper temperature is reached. andthe top of the kiln is the first to reach the proper temperature, theheat traveling downwardly through the great mass of the contents of thekiln at a rather slow rate. This requires considerable care andattention in the tiring of a kiln to prevent overdmrning at the topthereof.

.kCC'OlTllIlfI to the present invention the heat from a kiln that hasbeen tired and which would ordii'larily pass up the stack and be lost,is caused to circulate upwardly through another kiln so that thecontents of this second kiln are given a preliminary heating before thesecond kiln is tired. Refer to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings and let.it be assumed that the kiln F being fired and that the kiln B has beenfilled and is the next kiln to be fired. The gates 11 for the kilns Eand C are closed, as is also the gate or damper 12 for the stack. Thegate 14 of the tunnel l3 connecting the kilns A and B is also closed.The wells 7 of the kilns B and F are nowin in direct communication witheach other, and the products of combustion from the kiln F will passover to the bottom of the kiln B instead of going up the stack 10 andbeing wasted.

Surrounding the kiln B is a manifold 15, and this manifold is providedwith a series of branch arms 16 which communicate with the furnaces 3.Suitable means such as the plates 17 can be provided for fitting overthe furnace openings and the plates for the upper furnace openings maybe suitably construeted to receive the bran h arms 10 of the manifold.The lower furnace openings may be closed in any suitable manner as bymeans of plates or by banking with ashes or dirt. The manifold 16 isprovided with an outlet 18 which is ada 'ited to be connected by anelbow 19 to a fan 20. This fan may be preferably mounted so that it canbe moved from place to place and is shown as mounted upon a truck ill. Asuitable motor 522 is shown as provided for driving the fan. and the fanoutlet is indicated at :2

lVith the two kilns B and F connected up, as previously described. thekiln F being fired while the kiln B is ready for firing. the fan 20 isput; in operation. This fan operates to produce a partial vacuum withinthe manifold 15 with the result: that the products of combustion fromthe kiln F are forciblv drawn through the underground llues or tunnels 9into the kiln B. The products of combustion circulate downwardly fromthe top of the kiln F to the bottom thereof and after passing throughthe underground tlucs circulate upwardly through the kiln B from thebottom to the top thereof, after which they pass down back of the bagwalls 4- of the kiln B and are drawn into the manifold 15. The fanproduces a positive draft for the kiln F and (lra vs the products ofcombustion from the kiln F to the kiln B. These products of combustionpass through the kiln B in an upward instead of a downward direction,that is in a direction the rcvcrse of that which is followed when thekiln itself is being tired. The heating of the contents in the kiln l isthus from the bottom to the top thereof. and the bottom of the kiln isthus well heated, so that when the kiln itself is eveiltnally tiredthere is less resistance to the downward passage of the products ofcombustion from the furnaces of the kiln, and the kiln becomes heatedmore quickly and uniformly than would otherwise be the case. After thekiln B has been thoroughly heated by the products of cmnbustion from thefurnace F, the furnaces of the kiln 1, can he started to complete thetiring of the kiln. and the products of combustion from the kiln B canbe carried to one of the other kilns in the battery which is ready forfiring. The preliminary heating of the kiln l by the products ofcombustion from one of the other kilns which would ordinarily go up thestack and be wasted results in the saving ola very considerable amountof coal in the tiring of the kiln, and is conductive to much economy inthe operation of the kiln. The pre-heating of the kiln also reduces or.lowers the resistance which must ordinarily be overcome when firing acold kiln to cause the products of combustion to pass freely through thecontents of the kiln. and when the pro-heated kiln is eventually firedthe contents thereof will heat much more quickly lit) and uniformly thanis ,o rdinarily possible, with the result that there is p, less dangerof r 1 over-burning and spoiling 7 part of the conwtents.

The manifold lais of atypewhich canbe applied as an attachment to kilnswhichd ave already been built, andtoikilnswhich are arranged tooclose toeach other ortoo close to the stack to permit of theinstallation of anunderground manifold. The manifold may be constructed of any suitablematerial such as sheet metal, and maybeiormed of a series of sectionswhich are detachably. connected to eachv other by any su1tableform ofjoint such as that indicatedat QA on,Fig-

,ure 6. T he joint is formed by Ia band which encircles the abuttingends of the sections and may bedrawntightly together by'a bolt or otherfastening n emberr The manifold may be mounted upon the kiln inanysuitable manner, and, as indicated by Figures 2 and 5,tho'suspensirnr cables or wires 25,

may be used. These wires are looped toflreceive the manifold and 'theends ofthe ,wires detachably engage hook members 26 which are fittedupon one of the annular bands 5 of the kiln. The suspending wires canbereadily disengaged from the ,l1ooks 26 and the manifold removed fromthekiln. -This enables the manifold to be readily moved from one kiln'toanother kiln, and the fan is also portably mounted upon thetruck 21 sothat it can be moved {from place to place and used wherever it-isdesiredto set up the manifold.

e The kiln D, as shownonl ignrc 1, has a man fold 27 wh ch is locatedunderground, said manifold extend ng around the base of thekiln andbeing connected by thebranches to the furnaces thereof. The t ndergroundmanifold 27 has a B13111 branch 29 which extendsupwardly, to I thesurface of "the ground and is adapted to be connected to tlie elbow 19of the portable b11120. This" elbow can be swung npwardly for connect onwith the raised man fold 15, or swung downwardly ,ior connection w ththe underground manifold The undergronnd rnamfold operates in exactlythe sameananher as the over ground manifold. ,Bvre

versing the fan or ,fan con nectionithe under ground manifold can also.be usecl ,fo1'- supr 91 in a iorcedfdraft tot-he tfurnacesOfiiI-he ly bi kiln when the kiln is being fired; f

A. slight modification 1s shownbyli ig ure 7, in which the brancharmsilGS ofthe nann told leadto the lower furnaceopen ngs; 3'1 1n--stead of to the 'upper furnace openings.

With this arrangement the manifold can be used first for suckingordrawing the proclucts of combustion from another kiln which is beingfired upwardlythrough the/kiln which is being, preheated, and after thepreheating has been completed and thekiln is {that it i ma itself,fired, the fan or connections can be reversed so that the ,n anitoldarinsQwill furnish a ,iorced; draft to the ,furnaces.

It will be obvious thatby properly adjusting the gates and valvesitmaybe possibleto have two ormore o1 the kilnsinifull fire andto drawtheproducts of combustion fromthese seyeralkilns through one or morewhich are being preliminarily heated, or;

be possible, to distribute, the productsotcombustion from a single kilnwhich is being fired through twoor more kilns which are beingpreliminarily: heated,

this being something which can be varied according to the judgmentoftheoperator incharge ofthe kilns. a y

Certain embodiments of the invention have been shown and described indetail I for illustrative purposes, although .it will be understood thatmanyi nodifications and thanges canbe made in the details ofconstructionwithout departing from the .spirit of the invention.

1 Having thusdescribedmy invention what I claim as new and desiretosecure byLetters Patent is, 1 t i i 1. Thecombination witha groupofkilns provided with the usual furnaces and floor fines, of a kilnconnecting fiue'between-the kilns, it lllflllifold upon oneof the kilnsprovided with branches leading to the ,furnaces thereof, and t a fan 3connected to the manifold and adapted ,to be used either for pumping,air into the manifold to apply,aiorced draft to the furnaces orfor,exhausting air ,from t-he manifold to, draw the products ofcombustion through the kiln connecting flue and into thekiln landnlaniiold from another kiln wh ch isiiredand in the course of burningfor;drawing the products of combustion into the kiln and manifold fromanother kiln whichis firedand inthe course of p burning.

2. The combination with i a gmuptr kilns 3. The combination with agroupot kilns provfidedlwiththezusual furnaces, a stack,

fiuesrconnccting-the respective kilns tolthe I stack, valves for thefluesand stack whereby any kiln ,beplaccd in COlIllllllillUllliiOll withthe stack or withanothe1nkiln through the base 3oii the stack,manifolds, applied to certain of ,the kilns; and provided with branchesleading to the furnaces thereonand means forkforclblyr exl aust nga rfrom the i manifolds to draw the products of combustion into the kilnand manifold from another kiln which is fired and in course of burning.

it. The combination with a group of kilns provided with the usualfurnaces and floor fiues, kiln connecting fines extending between thefloor fines of adjacent kilns, manifolds applied to certain of the kilnsand provided with branches leading to the furnaces thereof, and aportable exhaust fan adapted to be connected with the manifold of anyselected kiln for drawing the products of combustion into the kiln andmanifold from another kiln which is fired and in the course of burning.

5. The combination with a group of kilns provided with the usualfurnaces and floor fines, kiln connecting flues, extending between thetloor fines of adjacent kilns, manifolds for certain of the kilns, someof the manifolds being under ground and others being above ground, aportable fan,and an adjustable connecting member for connecting the sameto any of the manifolds whether above or under ground, for drawing theproducts of combustion into the kiln and manifold from another kilnwhich is fired and in the course of burning.

6. The combination with a group of kilns provided with the usualfurnaces, kiln connecting flues, a portable manifold adapted to beapplied to selected kilns and formed in sections, detachable joints,means for connecting the portable manifold to the kiln between thesections, and a fan for the manifold.

7. The combination with a pair of kilns having the usual furnaces in theside walls thereof and provided with bottom flues, a kiln connectingflue extending between the bottom lines of the kilns, a portablemanifold adapted to be selectively applied to either of the kilns andformed with branches comn'iunicating directly with the furnaces of thekiln to which it is applied, and a suction fan connected to the manifoldfor forcibly drawing the products of combustion from the other kilnthrough the kiln connecting flue into the kiln to which the manifold isapplied, and thence into the manifold to preheat the contents of thesecond mentioned kiln, there being a down draft in the kiln that isburning and an up draft in the kiln that is preheating.

8. The combination with a group of kilns having the usual furnaces, kilnconnecting flues, a portable manifold adapted to be applied to aselected kiln, manifold suspending means detachably engaging the kiln,means for connecting the manifold to the kiln, and

a portable fan detachably connected to the manifold.

9. The combination with a group of kilns provided with the usualfurnaces, kiln connecting fines, hook members on the kilns, a manifoldadapted to be applied to a selected kiln, manifold supporting elementsdetachably engaging the hook members, means for connecting the manifoldto the kiln, and a fan for the manifold.

10. The combination with a group of kilns provided with the usualfurnaces and also provided with the usual kiln encircling bands, kilnconnecting fines, hook members engaging the hands, a portable inanifoldadapted to be applied to a selected kiln, manifold supporting elementsdetachably engaging the said hook members, means for connecting themanifold to the kiln and afan for the manifold.

11. The combination with a group of kilns provided with the usualfurnaces, of kiln connecting flues, a portable manifold adapted to beapplied to a selected kiln and formed with branches leading directly tothe furnaces thereof, and a portable fan adapted to be detachablyconnected to the manifold.

12. The combination with a group of kilns having the usual furnaces inthe side walls thereof and provided with floor fines, a stack, fluesextending between the floor fines of the respective kilns to the stack,valves for the fines and stack whereby any kiln can be placed incommunication with a base of the stack or with another kiln through thestack, manifolds applied to certain of the kilns and provided withbranches leading to the furnaces thereof, and means for forciblyexhausting air from the manifolds to draw the products of combustioninto the kiln and manifold from another kiln which is being burned, theproducts of combustion being discharged from the manifold independentlyof the stack, and there being adown draft in the kiln that is burningand an up draft in the other kiln.

13. The combination with a kiln formed with a bottom flue and having theusual furnaces in the side walls thereof, of a manifold applied to thekiln and provided with branches leading to the furnaces thereof, and afan associated with the manifold and adapted to be used either forpumping air into the manifold to apply a forced draft to the furnaces orfor exhausting air from the manifold to produce a reverse draft throughthe kiln.

14. The combination with a kiln having the usual furnace openings in theside walls thereof, of a portable manifold extending around the kiln andformed in detaehably connected sections, means for removahly supportingthe manifold upon the kiln above the furnaces, branches leading from themanifold to the furnaces, and a portable fan detachably connected to themanifold.

15. The combination with a kiln provided with the usual furnaces and afloor flue, of a manifold extending around the kiln and probranchesleading to the furnaces, means for detachably mounting the manifold uponthe kiln, and a portable fan for the manifold.

17. The combination with a kiln provided 15 with the usual furnaces anda fioor fiue, of a manifold extending around the kiln and arranged abovethe. furnaces, branches leading downwardly from the manifold to thefurnaces, and a fan operatively connected to 20 the manifold.

In testimony whereof, I affix signature.

JUAN N. SILVA.

GERTlFlGATE OF CGRRECHON.

Patent No. 1,673,597. Granted June 12, 1928, to

JUAN N. SILVA.

It is hereby certified thet error appears in above numbered patenttequiring correction misspelled word "accompanyiny" read the printedspecification of the as iellews: -Page 1 line 38, for the"aceemeahyihg"; page 2-, line 122., for the word "conductive" tread"conducive"; page 3, lines 92 and 93, claim 1, strike out the wet-(is"and fleet flutes, and lines 194; te 107, strike out the words "fordrawing the hresi'ucts oi eemhustioh iete the kiln and mahiield fromanother kiln which is tired am? in the ccurse 0i hunting"; page 4, line96, claim 12, strike out the weirs "base 0?, the" fiiid ihset't the samehetere the word "stack", second ecetirreeee, in, line 97; axed that thesaid Letters Fatem; should be read with this ccrrection therein that thesame may eeniorm to the tecetd at the case in the Yateht Oiiice.

Signed and sealed this 24th day 0i July, A. J. 192%.

WM. A. Kimian,

(Seal) Acting Gemmissiehei' of Patents.

